


For the Fickle

by yoongiadlibs



Category: Bangtan Boys, bts, 방탄소년단 - Fandom
Genre: Chaebol au, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Third Person POV, alternare universe, bts - Freeform, literally every korean drama trope ever, mostly fluff kinda smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-09-01 05:12:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16758598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoongiadlibs/pseuds/yoongiadlibs
Summary: And somewhere, in between naps and coffee breaks, Seokjin found he cannot choose between family and love after all. For they have always been both, and he almost always didn't have a choice.(aka Literally your average chaebol kdrama trope but with BTS in it, with the Kims as half-brothers all in line as the heir)((yes someone will have water thrown at them from a flute glass.))





	For the Fickle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Kim Taehyung shows up in Seokjin's house, claiming to be the son of his father from another woman (which... doesn't really surprise him at all)

“My name is Kim Taehyung.” The boy, who stood a meter away from their couch, said in a low, raspy voice “I think my father is Kim Moon-jae.” Shoulders squared and jaw tense, he waited.

Seokjin blinked. And then he blinked again for good measure. “Again.”

The boy’s stare did not waver, however his ragged bangs were in the way and he made no effort to brush it off, which slightly bothered Seokjin. “A-Again?”

“Yes,” Seokjin nodded “Can you repeat what you just said?”

Kim Seokjin has always been three things his entire life: a son, a brother, and an existentialist. Friends were fleeting colleagues he made every now and then in the phases of his life and lovers were a temporary rush of excitement and affection, but these relationships did not matter as much. He believed in blood ties—in _family._ He believed that, yes, although being an existentialist meant embracing the bittersweet fact that we lived in an irrational, chaotic world and there is no greater purpose in life for any of the events that happen, he still had a right to hold onto one thing and that is family.

It is a consistent factor in Seokjin’s daily routine of existing. He woke up and he wanted to spend breakfast with his father. He saw his siblings and he knew enough to treasure them for a lifetime. He passed by his mother’s portrait on his bedside table and he felt he had been loved enough to last a war. He did not believe in a supreme force, or in fate, or any mystical destiny. He did not fool himself with the hopes of tomorrow or discovering the meaning of life.

Kim Seokjin will always be three things: a son to his parents, a brother to his younger siblings and an existentialist who did not believe in anything but family. He didn’t want to be anything else. He existed, that was simply it, but he knew what he was and what to do.

But right then, watching a frumpy-looking boy in their living room, he wasn’t sure if he actually really knew what to do.

Seokjin definitely did not know what to do. What was he supposed to do? There was no official guidebook on how to entertain a possible half-brother from another woman. _Should I be a warm, receptive host or a hostile and guarded son of the man he claims to be his father too?_

Taehyung looked confused for a moment, but nevertheless took in a deep breath and said, louder this time, “My name is Kim Taehyung. I think my father is Kim Moon-jae.”

Seokjin nodded again, gesturing to the couch “Don’t you want to take a seat?” He takes in the boy’s appearance: pale face, slightly red eyes (tired or swollen, Seokjin wasn’t sure), looking like he was barely sixteen. An accent lingered at certain words. He wore a plain white shirt rumpled at the edges, a black hoodie, ripped jeans, and dirty, white Converse high tops with laces undone on the left shoe. He seemed to have dyed his hair—a shade of brown, maybe—but the color had begun to fade and was reverting back to a natural black. Seokjin curiously eyed the worn, leather-bound folder Taehyung gripped tightly in between his arms “I’m Kim Moon-jae’s eldest son, Seokjin.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened visibly and he bowed “Ah, yes, hello.” He tore his eyes away from him, stared at the spacious, leather couch and then to the floor, “I’d rather stand like this if you don’t mind.” He briefly raised his eyes to glance at Seokjin, checking if he seemed rude.

Seokjin was the least bit offended, shrugging “I probably wouldn’t be comfortable too if I were you. Are you all alone? Where are you from?”

“Daegu.” He muttered, fidgeting at the edges of the folder he held. “I came here alone too.”

Seokjin recalled Namjoon, his half-brother, mentioning Daegu during one of their dinners, and how his _hyung_ was raised there. He shifted his eyes to the wall clock right behind Taehyung; it was 9:40 in the morning. This boy must’ve taken the earliest train to Seoul at 5:30 or 6 in the morning. “You travelled far. You must be hungry.”

The boy shook his head “Oh no, I ate while I was on the—” His stomach rumbled, effectively cutting him off. Taehyung looked up and cringed “—train…”

Seokjin stifled a smile he hoped was warm enough “It’s okay. I can’t just let a guest starve. Besides, we might be talking for some time. Follow me.” He turned his back on him and trodded towards their kitchen, gesturing for him to follow.

Surprisingly enough, Seokjin didn’ feel confused, or annoyed, or shocked to the core. He at least knew what to do now, which was to feed this boy and wait for his father’s secretary to arrive.

Children or parents who claim to be part of the Kim family aren’t a surprise at all. Kim Moon-jae’s notoriety as a playboy (he had been tagged as the Ladies’ Mogul by Forbes Korea), their family’s tempting fortune, and the truth that literally almost everyone and their mothers knew a Kim in their lives all proved to be enough to bring about surprise visits. Some of them, intricate ploys to amass an inheritance, and some just honest mistakes.

Namjoon joked that every visit almost seemed like an episode of ‘Are you the Baby Daddy?’ Show. Seokjin had to remind him that if that were the case, then Namjoon had once been an episode too.

But weirdly enough, none of these claims turned up at their family house in the mid-morning of a Wednesday. They all either showed up at the Kim Media Holdings office in Gangnam, or at the company’s headquarters at Gwangju. 

Taehyung followed him past the living area and into the hallway leading to the kitchen, all the while staring around and taking in the foreign surroundings. 

They entered the kitchen area and immediately, the newly-hired assistant chef Junghee appeared and bowed. “Head chef went out for a moment to buy at the fish market. Should I ready the breakfast, sir?”

Seokjin waved at her “Brunch, actually. And it’s okay, I can cook.” He glanced over his shoulder to check if Taehyung still followed.

The boy stood in the doorway, eyes wide, mouth shaped in a small ‘o’. 

“Understood,” Junghee eyed the boy for a brief moment before turning to Seokjin, “Can I be of any help, sir?”

“Right. Can you bring me the short ribs I marinated the other night?” Seokjin grabbed a clean apron from one of the drawers and started tying it around his waist “Oh and some green tea would be nice too. He probably hadn’t eaten in a while” Seokjin gestured to Taehyung who hovered about the doorway, unsure of what to do.

The chef smiled “Should I start setting the table too?”

“That would be a great help Junghee, thank you.” He went to check the cupboards for anything he can pair with braised ribs. He wondered if a full meal of ribs, rice and some stew will be too heavy for Taehyung’s first meal of the day, but one might argue that the boy could use some heavy food.

“This is…” Taehyung started, still staring around “This is a… nice kitchen.” He let his hand drop on the wooden countertop and then on the mismatched stools by the counter. His shoulders started to relax and his fingers drifted at the buckwheat flowers placed on the vase.

“You can take a seat, if you want. This will take an hour probably.” Seokjin knew this part of the house was the least intimidating area. This was Seokjin’s personal space, where he cooked and baked for the fun of it. He purposely made it this way, with homey and almost cluttered interiors, textured wooden counters and wide French windows looking out into the lanai, porcelain silverware and colorful mugs, not a hint of steel aside from the stove and the oven, so that whoever stepped in felt as if they were home. Namjoon loved to make himself some tea in here and wait for Seokjin to finish up whatever he was cooking while he lounged in the lanai.

Seokjin turned the stove open and started chopping vegetables for an egg omelette “I hope you’re not allergic to egg or anything?”

“Oh no, egg is fine. Egg is good. Egg is—o-okay.” He stammered “I don’t drink coffee, though. Allergies.”

Seokjin’s face scrunched up in a frown “Oh, you poor thing.”

He smiled hesitantly, finally taking a seat at one of the stools by the counter. “It’s okay, I survive.”

Seokjin glanced again and smiled back “How old are you by the way?”

“Seventeen, turning eighteen in December.”

Seokjin thought it was funny coincidence they were both born in December “I thought you were younger. I’m turning 21 in December too. He had just started cooking the omelette when Junghee appeared with a mug in one hand and a tupperware in the other. “Chef Junghee, can you help me start with the ribs? I’m still on the side dishes.”

Junghee handed the mug of tea to Taehyung and grabbed another apron “Yes, sir.” Taehyung muttered a thank you under his breath and finally let go of the folder he clutched tightly.

The two worked quietly around the kitchen while Taehyung slowly warmed himself with green tea. It was when Taehyung was halfway through the cup that the counter started to fill with plates and the smell of braised ribs made his stomach grumble louder.

Junghee set the food outside in the lanai, quickly filling the low table with food and providing cushions they’d use on the floor. When the everything was finally done, Junghee excused herself and exited Seokjin’s kitchen to give them privacy.

“Thanks for the help.” Seokjin then asked Taehyung to follow him out into the lanai, and Taehyung couldn’t help but marvel at the garden that greeted them, food forgotten.

“I thought it would be more comfortable if you ate in here instead of the grand dining hall.”

Taehyung swallowed, relief evidently pouring in his face as his shoulders lost the last knot of tension. He dropped himself on one of the cushions, and thanked him for the food.

Seokjin let him eat first before he started questioning him. They resolved in a quiet peace while he thought of un-rude questions to figure out how all these happened until he heard little sniffles. Seokjin turned and saw Taehyun’s head bowed over his cup of rice, chopsticks frozen in his hand “Oh God, is there something wrong with the food?” He asked in alarm. “Are you allergic to anything??” Watching Taehyung’s already red eyes burn even more with tears, Seokjin wondered whatever went wrong.

Taehyung wiped his runny nose with the sleeve of his hoodie and tried to regain composure “Where did you learn to cook the braised short ribs?” he asked, voice clogged with tears.

Seokjin pursed his lips “I got the recipe from a good restaurant my father and I once visited.” He answered, hesitating a little to rub the boy’s back “Was it too spicy? Or was it too good?” He tried to joke, but he was already worried himself. “Sometimes I bring people who eat my food to tears.”

He let out a startled laugh and rubbed at his eyes “Was it a restaurant in Daegu?”

“Yes.” He sat back, watching. _I knew that he’d figure out sooner or later, but to cry about it…?_ “I thought you’d want something familiar.”

Taehyung smiled, widely and all teeth despite the wet cheeks “That is so thoughtful, really. Thank you. It made me miss my mother. She used to take me to the restaurant for special occasions.”

 _There’s the opening!_ “Where is she?” Seokjin asked.

And there, he came to know Kim Taehyung. His mother, Jo Hee-sun, is a florist from Daegu, the only child of a couple who died when she was twenty-one and left their house under her name. He and her mother also worked as caretakers of one of the farms a good friend of theirs owned. His mother didn’t make much, and they didn’t have couches or lanais or chefs, but they were happy. His mother talked of Tae’s father on occasion, how he fed a handsome businessman in her house when his car had broken down in the middle of a farm road and let him stay the night. A few twists and turns, and three months later, when the businessman had long been gone and already back in the city, Tae’s mother figured she was pregnant. She had no way to contact him, and she didn’t really try either. It would be a waste of energy, and it just might break her heart too.

Taehyung never bothered to find his father since he grew up fine without him anyway. But now his mother is confined in a hospital for kidney failure, and they cannot afford dialysis let alone a transplant. He tried working multiple part time jobs, but he was still a high school student and he only ever worked in a farm his entire life. He didn’t have much relatives and although their neighbors tried to help, it was just enough to get her check-ups and medicine. She was just a florist; her healthcare covers only half of the expenses.

“So I dug up around the house for anything, and found a note and a business card in one of my mother’s wardrobes.” Taehyung opened the leather-bound folder and took out a handwritten note on a scrap of paper and a familiar business card. He handed them to Seokjin, saying “She lied. She said she didn’t have any way to contact my father, but she did. She just didn’t want to.”

Sure enough, Seokjin read the note—a love letter telling Hee-sun, Taehyung’s mother, to come see him if she wants to keep their love and that he’ll be waiting—containing their address and his whole name in his handwriting. His father’s old business card was also enclosed within the note. “Why didn’t she want to contact him?”

Taehyung swallowed and answered in a low voice “Because he is too far. My mother never wanted this kind of lifestyle, and I can see why. It overwhelms her.” He looked away and rubbed at his nose again “To be honest, she was against the idea of me going here to ask for help. She said I probably didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But how could I just watch her… get sick like that?” His voice wavered “I went here by myself and bought a one-way ticket to Seoul without her knowing. She thinks I’m in school right now. I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t so desperate.”

He knew how important family was. He knew what it felt to only have one parent by your side, and how you cannot afford to lose them at all costs. “I know. I understand.”

“Seokjin—Kim Seokjin,” Taehyung suddenly sat straight up and bowed his head “I’m not here to take any money. I—we don’t want any of it. I just want her to be healthy again. I already brought all the necessary documents to prove the parentage—I could even take a DNA test if necessary. Please—please, please. I’m begging. Please help us.”

Kim Seokjin had always been three things his entire life: a son, a brother, and an existentialist. When he first saw Taehyung in their living room, he had no idea what he had to be. But now watching him crumple into a bow, he felt the same emotion he had when he first saw Namjoon on their front gate under the rain, screaming for Kim Moon-jae to show his ass up in court.

Endearment, affection. A little pride. The same rush of familiarity that showed they shared the same principle in life. They are but three things: a son, a brother and a person who believed in nothing but family.

“Kim Taehyung.” Seokjin began, patting the boy’s head “I’ll help you as much as I can.”

**Author's Note:**

> HIIIII!! This is one of my newest works and I basically just wrote this up because I saw the ad for the Hyundai SUV and saw them in suits and was like d-damn .... HOPE Y’ALL LIKE IT !!!!


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